How to Block YouTube on Sky Hub (Sky Broadband, 2026)
Block YouTube on a Sky Hub router using Sky Broadband Shield and DNS filtering. Free for Sky broadband customers in the UK. Updated for 2026.
What You'll Need
- A Sky Hub router (Sky Hub, Sky Hub 3.5, Sky Hub SR203/SR213, or Sky Ultrafast Hub)
- Your My Sky account login (email and password)
- About 10 minutes
Sky Broadband customers have access to Sky Broadband Shield — a free, account-level content filtering service that blocks categories of content (including social media and video streaming) for all devices on your Sky network. This is the recommended approach for blocking YouTube on Sky.
Sky Broadband Shield is the main tool
The Sky Hub's built-in admin panel has very limited parental controls — it doesn't offer specific URL blocking. Sky Broadband Shield (free with any Sky Broadband package) is the proper tool for content filtering. It blocks YouTube at the network level before traffic even reaches your devices.
Part 1: Enable Sky Broadband Shield
Log in to My Sky
On any device, open a browser and go to sky.com/myaccount (or use the My Sky app on iOS/Android). Log in with your Sky account email and password.
Go to Broadband → Sky Broadband Shield
Once logged in, navigate to: My Products → Broadband → Sky Broadband Shield.
Alternatively, go directly to: sky.com/shield
Enable Broadband Shield
If Broadband Shield is off, click Turn on. You'll be prompted to choose a level of filtering.
Choose a filtering level or customise
Sky Broadband Shield offers three levels:
- Sky Broadband Shield (default): Blocks adult content, malware, and phishing
- Sky Kids Shield: Stricter — blocks social media, video streaming (including YouTube), chat services, and adult content
- Custom: Choose specific categories to block
For blocking YouTube, select Sky Kids Shield (recommended for children). This blocks the entire Video Streaming category, which includes YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming sites.
If you want to keep other streaming services available but block only YouTube, select Custom and look for a way to add a specific domain block.
Save and apply
Click Save or Confirm. Sky Broadband Shield applies immediately at the network level — no router restart needed. All devices on your Sky Wi-Fi will be affected.
Part 2: Set a PIN to Prevent Changes
Set a Sky Broadband Shield PIN
In the Sky Broadband Shield settings (sky.com/myaccount → Broadband → Shield), look for a PIN or Parental Lock option. Setting a PIN prevents anyone who accesses your Sky account from turning off Shield without the PIN.
Part 3: DNS Filtering as a Backup (Recommended)
Sky Broadband Shield is account-level — it applies to your Sky connection. Adding DNS filtering at the router level provides a second, independent layer.
Access the Sky Hub admin panel
On a device connected to your Sky Wi-Fi, open a browser and type:
192.168.0.1— most Sky Hub models
Log in with the Sky Hub admin credentials. These are printed on a sticker on the back or bottom of the Hub. The password is NOT the same as your Sky account password or your Wi-Fi password — it's a separate router admin password (usually printed near the serial number).
Find DNS settings in the Hub
Once logged in, navigate to:
- Advanced → DNS (Sky Hub 3.5 and SR203/SR213)
- Or Advanced → Broadband Settings → DNS
Look for fields labelled Primary DNS Server and Secondary DNS Server.
Enter CleanBrowsing Family DNS
Replace the existing DNS entries:
- Primary DNS:
185.228.168.168 - Secondary DNS:
185.228.169.168
Click Apply or Save.
Restart the Sky Hub
In the admin panel: look for a Restart or Reboot option. Or power-cycle the Hub (unplug for 10 seconds, plug back in). After restart, every device on the Sky network will use CleanBrowsing DNS and youtube.com will fail to resolve.
How Kids Bypass This
Sky Broadband Shield is tied to your Sky account — not a specific device: Shield applies to all devices on your Sky broadband connection. If your child can log into your Sky account (sky.com/myaccount) or access the My Sky app, they could turn Shield off. Set a Shield PIN and secure your Sky account with a strong password.
Sky Kids Shield blocks more than YouTube: Sky Kids Shield restricts social media, video streaming, chat, gaming sites, and more. If the other restrictions are too broad for your household, use the Custom setting and selectively block Video Streaming.
Mobile data bypass: Sky Broadband Shield only covers your home Sky Wi-Fi. On mobile data (4G/5G), your child bypasses the Sky network entirely. Use Screen Time (iPhone) or Family Link (Android) for device-level coverage.
VPN apps: A VPN app can bypass both Sky Broadband Shield and DNS filtering by routing traffic through an encrypted tunnel. Block VPN app installation via Screen Time (iPhone) or Family Link (Android).
Connecting to a different network: If your child connects their phone to a neighbour's Wi-Fi, school Wi-Fi, or a mobile hotspot, Sky Shield doesn't apply. Router-level filtering only covers your home network.
DNS override on the device: Technically savvy children can manually set a DNS server on their device (e.g. using Android's Private DNS feature), bypassing router-level DNS filtering. Sky Broadband Shield (operating upstream at the ISP level) is harder to bypass than local DNS changes.
Counter-Measures
Sky Broadband Shield is genuinely effective: Unlike router admin panel URL blocking (which requires navigating technical menus), Sky Broadband Shield is a simple on/off toggle that works at the network level before traffic even enters your home. Turn it on first.
Sky Kids Shield + router DNS = strong combination: Sky Broadband Shield blocks YouTube at the ISP level. Router-level CleanBrowsing DNS blocks it again at the DNS resolution level. Both layers need to be bypassed.
Add device-level controls for full coverage: Pair with Screen Time (iPhone) or Family Link (Android) so YouTube is blocked even when your child's phone is on mobile data or a different Wi-Fi network.
Related Guides
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